“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” (Song of Songs 2:11-13 NIV)
I’ve seen butterflies everywhere lately. Have you seen them too? Butterflies and flowers are on clothing, shoes, scarves, advertisements, cookies, wall paper, and many other objects this season. Friends have called and emailed me with butterfly sightings on items ranging from Starbucks coffee cups to their children’s school curriculum. I was even served butterfly crackers on a recent flight to Korea! It’s as if butterflies have exploded everywhere!
I’ve noticed something else too. In my travels throughout the regions of PWOC, I’ve seen a common theme—an increased hunger for the Lord to arise—a desire for more of God. My awareness of the butterfly imagery and theobserved theme of increased hunger for Him began to merge in a message for hope for all of us.
The following Scriptures came to mind. The first one is the Song of Songs text above. It’s a beautiful description of the awakening love between Christ and His church, His belovedbride. But the Lord also reminded me of another truth:
…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (1 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
I love how the Lord sets the stage for us to be reminded of how special we are to Him and what He wants to do for us. A butterfly symbolizes new life, 
new beginnings, freedom in Christ and the fulfillment of destiny and purpose. I also love how the butterfly emerges after a cold winter season. They, along with the beautiful flowers, signify that spring is here. The new has come.
I could go in a myriad of teaching directions with this beautiful imagery, and you’ll probably hear more of them in the future. But the message I want you to focus on in this moment is this encouraging truth. You have a unique purpose in life. You are His beloved. You are a beautiful creation in Him.
Loving His Spring Time,
Brenda Marlin
President, PWOC International
“Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:11-13)
